Broken Wings
by AdmiralFluffy
Summary: After being recovered from Midway, Yorktown is having problems getting her planes to fly. Coming up with an interesting plan to help her overcome her issues, will the Commander succeed in mending her broken wings, or will he get more than he bargained for?
1. Chapter 1

The SBD Dauntless rumbled down the flight deck, engine roaring as it tried to get enough lift under its wings before it reached the bow. Just as it reached the end of the flight deck, it slowly began to lift into the sky. I watched as it took to the air, attempting to turn to port and gain some altitude whilst waiting for the other aircraft on the flight deck to launch. As it turned, it wobbled, then swiftly nosed over and plunged into the sea, the splash spraying water onto the flight deck. Instead of the usual cries for assistance, the emergency crews being scrambled, or the orders barked to turn the ship around to circle back for the survivors, the only noise I heard over the rumbling of engines was Yorktown's resigned sigh.

"It's no good, Commander," she said dejectedly. "That's the third one in a row. I just can't seem to get a grip on my aircraft." I turned around to find her looking forlornly out at the open ocean. The wind over the deck billowing both her long silvery hair and blue dress behind her as she stared into the vast horizon.

"You're getting better," I said encouragingly, "That one actually made it off the deck this time."

"It's still not good enough, and we've been out here for hours."

This time, it was my turn to sigh softly as I looked down at the row of bombers idling on the deck. Ever since we'd managed to recover her from Midway, Yorktown seemed to be in the grips of a deep depression, even around her sisters. I had hoped that getting her out to sea and running exercises with the SBDs, the planes she was most familiar with, would be helpful. But instead, it seems I've made things worse. As I stared at the idling dive bombers, an idea began to form in my head.

"Alright," I acquiesced. "Let's go ahead and cancel the launch, and set course for home. Kill the SBD's engines, but leave them on the deck, please."

Yorktown seemed perplexed by the last order, but she carried it out dutifully. "Aye, sir." As the carrier began to make her long, graceful turn back to the base, I stepped back into the bridge, gesturing for Yorktown to follow.

"Let's head down to the flight deck. I want to check something out." As we made our way down ladders and through passageways, I looked back over my shoulder at the woman trailing behind me. "How familiar are you with the SBD?"

"Sir?"

"Indulge me, I'm curious."

She looked at me in confusion. "I'm...not certain what you mean, Commander."

I undogged the hatch to the flight deck and motioned for her to go through. "Ladies first." She hesitantly stepped through and I followed, shutting and dogging the hatch behind me. "All of the carriers, yourself included, handle your planes with such amazing skill. But I'm curious as to how much of that is based on instinct and just doing what comes naturally, and how much of it is knowledge and training."

While waiting on her response, I climbed up onto the wing of the lead SBD, running my hand along the riveted surface, inspecting every inch of it. I had never been able to see one up close like this before, and I wasn't going to miss my chance to finally check it out up close and personal. Eventually, Yorktown found her voice and answered.

"It's a little bit of both. It's like wielding a sword. When you pick it up, you know where to grab it and have a general idea of what do with it, but you need training and skill to wield it effectively."

I nodded as I opened the canopy. I'd seen Hornet dozing off in her Wildcats from time to time, so I was pretty confident there'd at least be a seat. Sure enough, my suspicions were correct, and not only was there a seat, but it appeared to be the full cockpit. Without a second thought, I hopped in and got myself seated as comfortably as I could, looking back over at Yorktown, who was still standing on the flight deck, looking more and more confused by the second.

"Can you teach me?" I asked. "To fly a plane, I mean."

Yorktown stared at me for several seconds, trying to figure out if I was serious or not. "I...could…" she answered slowly. "...but why do you ask?"

"Because I want you to teach me how to fly." When she didn't respond immediately, I continued. "Honestly, I wanted to be a pilot before the Siren War kicked off and everyone got grounded. And while I don't think High Command will ever greenlight me taking to the sky in battle anytime soon, it couldn't hurt to get lessons."

"I guess I could...although, I'm sure one of my sisters could teach you just as well…" she murmured.

"I'm sure they could, but I'm not asking them, I'm asking you. Will you teach me?"

She hemmed and hawed for a moment, trying to find some excuse while I patiently stared at her. In the end, she relented and nodded in resignation. "Very well, Commander. When shall we begin?"

"We've got a few hours before we're back in port, so how about now? Just the basics," I said quickly before she could object. "Starting and stopping the engine, running preflight checks, that sort of thing. I was thinking we'd wait a bit before trying carrier takeoffs and landings."

Yorktown nodded, then smiled softly. "Alright. First, you need to set the ignition switch to off, mixture control to…"

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Yorktown showed me the basic principles of flight operations; preflight checks, starting the engine, taxiing the plane, that sort of thing. It was slow going as we'd been doing this in our spare time, but as fate would have it, our schedules were about to become far more intertwined…

There was a knock on my office door and without looking up from finishing the morning's paperwork, I automatically said, "Enter." The door opened and shut and I looked up to find Yorktown standing in front of the desk, looking expectantly at me.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked.

"I did indeed," I smiled up at her. "Illustrious' time as my secretary has come up, she's rotating back to the fleet, and since we've been working so well together lately, I'd like you to replace her."

"Of course, Commander," she nodded dutifully. "If there's a problem leave it to me."

"Excellent! You'll start first thing tomorrow morning, and I'll make sure Illustrious catches you up to speed on the operations today before she departs. This will also give us a chance to get more flight training now that we'll be able to coordinate our schedules better."

"Is that the real reason you asked me to be your secretary?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "Not at all. I've really been enjoying our time together, and by all accounts, you're diligent, efficient, and hard-working. The additional flight training we'll be able to fit in is more of an added bonus."

Yorktown smiled slightly and glanced down at the floor. "I've...I've been enjoying spending time with you, too, Commander." For a second, I could've sworn I'd seen a faint blush on her cheeks. "But I want to maintain the current superior-subordinate relationship."

"That's fine," I replied, trying to keep my eyebrow down. If she had an interest in me, I'd failed to spot it before now so her admission caught me somewhat by surprise. "I think we're both capable of being professionals and maintaining a respectful distance." Oh, how wrong I was.

"Good, good," Yorktown nodded. "If you'll excuse me, then, I'll go and begin turnover with Illustrious."

"Of course. See you tomorrow, bright and early."

* * *

The next morning, I found that Yorktown had beaten me to the office and already hard at work.

"Good morning," I said, still somewhat stunned at her early arrival as I hung up my cap. "Have you been here long?"

"About an hour or so. You did say 'bright and early.'"

"That I did," I agreed. "I just didn't expect this bright or this early."

"In any case, I've prepared the morning reports, along with recommendations for the day's commission fleets."

"Thank you, Yorktown. I have to admit, I'm impressed." Again, she smiled and I could see color flushing her cheeks.

"Y-you're welcome," she whispered, tucking an errant strand of silvery hair behind her ear. "We should probably get to work now." I nodded in agreement and sat down at my desk, ready to start the day.

Several hours later, we were interrupted in our work by something tapping on the window. We both looked up at each other, then over at the window. There, on the other side of the glass, was a bald eagle.

"Grim!" Yorktown exclaimed, dashing to the window and flinging it open. "What are you doing here? Is Enterprise alright?" Grim Reaper, or Grim for short, had been Yorktown's companion until her loss at Midway when she gave him over to Enterprise.

Grim's only response was to let out a trill and hold up one of his claws, a bundle of envelopes clutched tightly in it.

"Oh, you brought the mail," Yorktown said in a subdued tone, "Thank you."

"That was nice of him," I noted. "Although he's never done that before." To be honest, I shouldn't have been so surprised. From what Enterprise told me before we recovered Yorktown, Grim was her constant companion, never far away from the elder sister.

"He used to fetch the mail for me all the time. And tell me when the fleets were returning." She delicately ran her fingers through the white feathers atop Grim's head, who seemed to like it, as he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "But now he belongs to Enterprise, to help _her_ with her duties. He should be out there, not here with me..."

"He misses you," I bluntly stated, and Grim chirped his agreement. "Just because he's helping Enterprise doesn't mean he can't give you a hand. Er...wing?..talon?...from time to time."

"He shouldn't be wasting time with me," Yorktown sighed, withdrawing her hand. "I'm fine on my own."

"Isn't that his call to make? Who he spends his time with?"

"I said I was fine on my own," she repeated, her tone wavering.

"Most people are _fine_ on their own. But that doesn't mean fine is something you should settle for. Or something you feel you deserve."

Yorktown sighed. "Commander…" her voice trailed off, and she appeared to be deep in thought. Finally, she reached out to pet Grim again, who happily leaned into it. "I guess I should start carrying treats for you, huh?"

"I'm partial to chocolate chip cookies," I joked. It was the first time I'd ever heard her laugh. I'd heard her giggle and chuckle, but never a full-on laugh. The sound was melodic, and it made me smile wider.

"I'll keep that in mind the next time you need an incentive to finish your work, Commander."

* * *

The work continued well into the night, with us finally finishing sometime around midnight. As I filed the last report away, I looked up to find Yorktown sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep. A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth, normally _I_ was the one who passed out first. Then again, it was a busy first day for her.

I stood and made sure everything was secured before moving to wake her and get her back to her room. But as my hand reached out for her, her peaceful expression turned dark, and she shook her head.

"Darkness…" she murmured, the sound barely audible even as close as I was. "No...darkness...light…" Her head continued to shake from side to side, the words becoming more plaintive, whatever dream she was having clearly turning to a nightmare. While there were risks in suddenly waking up a girl with enough firepower to level this office without a second thought, I decided to wake her from whatever was tormenting her. I gently shook her shoulder, and she woke with a start. Her eyelids snapped open, those ocean-blue eyes darting around the room until they settled on my face. In her eyes, I could see fear, panic, despair, and confusion, the last one vanishing quickly as her brain caught up.

"C-commander?" she whispered as she sat upright on the couch. "What happened? Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "You okay? You looked like you were having a nightmare at the end there."

"Oh." She wrapped her arms around herself and seemed to shrink down in her seat. "Did...did I say anything?"

"Something about darkness, that's all I caught."

"I see…" She looked thoughtful for a moment, then looked up at me. "Commander, how close have you ever come to death?"

I let out a long sigh and sat down next to her. For a while, I just sat there, staring into nothingness as I wrestled with the emotions and memories that were dredged up. In the end, I turned to her and said, "About three steps. Or three seconds."

"May I ask what happened?"

"I was a midshipman on a training cruise when we got caught in a Siren ambush. I was zone setting, you know, closing all the watertight doors, that sort of thing, with another midshipman. I ran to shut the last door, turned to head back and the next thing I know, an energy beam carves right through the area where I had been standing. Right where my friend was." In my mind, I remembered it all, clearly, the feeling of the hatch winching shut, pressing against the rubber seals, the worried, frightened look on her face. "One second she was there...and the next…" my voice trailed off, thick with emotion and I had to look away. I felt Yorktown's hand take mine, squeezing it tightly. I squeezed back and found my voice again.

"We were...close. Not romantically, but it's safe to say she was my best friend. Raised all kinds of hell together, watched each other's back. One second she was there, the next she was...just gone. And it could have been me, easily. If she had been the one to dog that hatch, or if I had been just a few seconds slower or faster, I would have been standing right where that beam hit." I took a deep, shuddering breath and nodded, looking back over at Yorktown. "Closest I've been to death."

"I'm sorry, Commander," she said quietly, still tightly holding my hand. "Did you ever talk to anyone about it?"

"Just the official inquiry, which was just really a recitation of what happened. I don't remember if there was counseling made available, if there was, I never took it. I was just...numb for the longest time. And when I finally started coming to terms with those feelings, it felt like it was too late for me to really do anything with them. So I kept it all deep inside."

"Do you think about it at all?"

"I try not to."

"Why not?"

I sighed and leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "For starters, it opens up a lot of emotions, most of them bad, and I don't want to deal with those emotions if I can avoid it. It also opens up dangerous questions. 'Why her and not me? Why was I spared? Was it fate or was it random chance? Would I have felt it? Would I even realize I died? What happens after I die?' Questions with no easy or comfortable answer. So I just...try not to think or talk about it."

"Until today."

"Well, you did ask," I gave her a thin smile, "and I'm not going to lie to you. You deserve better than that."

"I appreciate your honesty, Commander," she said. Now it was her turn to look away and take a deep breath. "I remember dying. I remember all of it. Feeling myself slip away, the water washing over me as I sank to the bottom. Growing colder and colder, darker and darker, until I settled at last on the seabed. That kind of darkness...it's...it's terrifying, Commander. It smothers you, pushes down on you until you can't stand it anymore. I thought I would be trapped there forever...until you found me. And I'm eternally grateful for that, but...part of me still feels like I'm trapped in that darkness, looking for the light to guide my way back…"

The silence hung heavy in the air, and I struggled to find the right words. "I'm...I'm sorry, Yorktown…is there anything I can help you with to find that light?"

"You being here with me, being here _for_ me, I think, helps. And sharing a part of yourself with me." Yorktown smiled softly. "Thank you."

"Thank _you_," I replied, squeezing her hand. "Now c'mon, let's get you home."

"Of course, Commander, I need to make one little change to the schedule first…"

* * *

As it turned out, what she had done was schedule us to leave the office a bit earlier than usual to finally move on to the next phase of my flight training. We arrived at the small airstrip in the early evening, the setting sun painting everything with a golden hue. Inactive since the beginning of the Siren War, it made for the perfect training ground, giving me lots of room to operate and make mistakes without damage any other nearby aircraft. Or, in this case, worrying about any air traffic control.

The SBD's starter whined as the propellers began to spin, and then, with a cough, the engine sputtered to life, engulfing me in a cloud of smoke that obscured my vision for a moment. As the smoke cleared, I could hear the engine settle into the familiar idling rumble, and all the instruments read that the aircraft was operating within normal limits. Confident that the Dauntless was ready to go, I looked over at Yorktown and gave her the thumbs up. She smiled back, her hair whipping around her face from the prop wash, and returned the gesture before signaling me to taxi to the runway. The dive bomber began to lumber onto the airstrip as I gently pushed the throttle forward, keeping the plane on course with the rudder pedals. Before long, I had turned onto the runway and engaged the brakes and thumbed the radio on.

"Bombing Five, ready for takeoff."

"Understood, Bombing Five," Yorktown's voice crackled in my ears, "You are cleared for takeoff. Ascend to angels three once you're clear of the runway. Good luck."

I grinned to myself as I pushed the throttle forward, the rumble of the engine becoming a dull roar as the power increased. The sound now filled the cockpit, practically rattling my teeth as I disengaged the brakes and the SBD began to roll down the runway. I continued to throttle up, my eyes were torn between the gauges and the end of the runway, which was now fast approaching. When I had reached the required airspeed, I gently began to pull back on the stick, my heart in my chest. Most crashes occurred during landing and takeoff, and this was my first time. Odds are good that if I screw something up, it would be now.

But my fears were never realized. With a slight bump and a shudder, the plane lifted into the air and I could see the ground had begun to fall away beneath me. I laughed, the sound swallowed up by the engine as I realized I was, at long last, _flying_. A dream I had long thought unreachable, now fully realized. And even though I did my best to keep my eye on my instruments and focus on flying the plane, I could not help but smile the entire time.

After a few minutes, the altimeter hit three thousand feet and I leveled the Dauntless out, looking around at the scattered clouds that I was now closer to than I was to the ground. The view was absolutely breathtaking from up here, and I slid the canopy back to get a better view, feeling the wind whipping around me. I could see the entire base, from the vacant airfield to the harbor entrance. Ships coming and going, mere specks from up here leaving thin white trails behind them. The vast sea, shimmering gold in the evening sun, stretching out before me as far as the eye could see. After a minute or two of my sightseeing, I realized I needed to check in with Yorktown.

"Bombing Five, angels three," I belatedly announced.

"Copy that, Bombing Five," Yorktown replied. "How's it looking up there?"

"It is absolutely _gorgeous_. I wish you could see it." I thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe next time you could hop in the gunner's seat and ride along? ...can you do that? Ride in one of your own planes?"

"Oh yes," she answered, "Enterprise and Kaga are rather fond of that sort of thing. It's not really mine, but flying with you...yes, I'd love to."

"It's a date, then!" I blurted out, not realizing I'd just crossed the line we said we wouldn't cross. It took my brain a minute to catch up with what I'd just said and hastily added, "Figuratively speaking. Keep it professional and that sort of thing."

"Huh? Oh! Oh, y-yes, of course." Yorktown sounded surprised, and I wondered if it was because she hadn't noticed it either, or she was entertaining the idea of a date with me. "We're losing the light, so you'd better bring it in for a landing."

"Copy that. Bombing Five, heading home," I responded and pulled the Dauntless into a slow, graceful turn back to the airstrip.

* * *

Yorktown had made the right call. As I taxied back to her, the last rays of the sun had vanished behind the empty hangars, the lights flickering on as the sky grew darker. The landing itself was smooth and relatively uneventful, much as I had anticipated. There was a lot of room for error on a long runway versus a pitching carrier deck, and the Dauntless was a very forgiving aircraft.

"That was _amazing_!" I exclaimed as I jumped off of the wing and onto the tarmac. "It was absolutely beautiful up there. I never _dreamed _I would get the chance to do something like that." I took a breath, steadying myself in an attempt to tone down my exuberance. "I couldn't have done this without you. Thank you, Yorktown."

She blushed and glanced down at the ground again, tucking that errant silver lock behind her ear. "You're welcome, Commander. It's good to feel useful again."

"Good! I'm glad you're feeling better. So when do we want to schedule the next flight? Do we have any time this weekend?"

Yorktown giggled at my enthusiasm and shook her head, "I would have said yes about fifteen minutes ago, but while you were on approach to land, Grim delivered this to me. It's for you." She handed over a gilded envelope with my name on it.

"Oh, thank you. Clearly, this isn't from High Command, unless they've suddenly gotten extravagant with their budget…" I mused as I tore it open and pulled out the equally gilded card within and read it silently. "Huh. The Royal Navy is having a ball for all of the factions, and I've been invited, along with 'a companion of my choosing'." It took me a second to realize she would have no idea what this card said unless… "Did you know about this?"

"I knew one was being planned, but I didn't know it would be this weekend until Grim delivered the envelope. Who do you plan on taking with you?"

"Well, you. If you'll have me."

"M-me?" she sputtered, surprised by my choice. "Are you sure, Commander?"

"Of course! I've enjoyed spending time with you, and I'd like to spend a little more. U-unless you feel that would violate the superior-subordinate relationship."

"Oh, n-no," she stammered, "Not at all. Well, maybe a little, but I think it's okay. Bent but not broken. Although I'm not much of a drinker."

"Ah, that's okay. I'm sure they'll have grape juice or something for the destroyers. Just stick close to Hamman or Sims and you'll do fine. What do you say?"

"Then...yes," she smiled happily, "I'd love to."


	2. Chapter 2

Before we knew it, the night of the Royal Ball, as it had been nicknamed, was upon us, and I was getting ready for my big date with Yorktown. Well, not an actual date, just two people going out to a formal event in a completely non-romantic fashion that in no way, shape, or form resembled fraternization. We were both either completely blind to the signs, or we were really good at lying to ourselves if we believed that for half a second. That would change tonight, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

As I said, I was getting ready, freshly showered and shaved, and making sure my dress uniform was on properly, with all the correct ribbons and pins. While I'm sure the Eagle Union ships in attendance wouldn't mind, the Royal Navy would likely have a week's worth of gossip and the Queen would be most upset with me if something was out of place. Easier to take the five minutes to double-check than risk causing an international incident. Once I was sure everything was in its proper spot, I donned my cap and headed outside.

From my quarters, it was a brief stroll to the Eagle Union dorms, where I saw a few of the other girls already leaving for the ball, all of them in beautiful evening gowns. I idly mused what Yorktown would be wearing as I came to a halt in front of the building. As I waited, the door swung open and Hornet came bounding out. Instead of her usual hat and long coat, she was wearing an evening dress that somehow managed to look both elegant and sporty. She grinned and waved to me as soon as she saw me.

"Hey, Commander! Waiting on Yorktown?" she asked, a big grin on her face.

"I am," I answered. "She's my 'companion' for the evening, so we agreed to meet here. Have you seen her recently?"

"Yeah, she's just putting the finishing touches on right now. You're a lucky guy, Commander. Lucky guy." She playfully hit me on my arm before she began walking off in the direction of the banquet hall. "See you two at the ball!" I watched her go, wondering what she meant by "lucky guy". We had agreed that this wasn't an actual date. Totally platonic. ...hadn't we?

Whilst in the middle of trying to unravel Hornet's comment, the door opened again, Yorktown stepped out, and any thoughts I was having came to an immediate, screeching halt. Like her sister, she was wearing a black evening gown, although hers was a more classic, sleeveless number. A fluffy white shawl was draped loosely over her shoulders, and her silvery hair was up in a stylish ponytail. Adding some color to the ensemble was a satin choker and a satin flower and ribbon that was pinned to her side, each a deep blue. Her white-gloved hands held a small clutch the same blue as the ribbons, and a small silver necklace completed the look.

I was awestruck, my jaw on the deck as I simply stared at her. She giggled softly when she saw my dazed expression. "Sorry to keep you, Commander," she said, "I needed a few last-minute tips from Hornet and Enterprise. It's been a while since I've gone to one of these."

It took me a few seconds to realize she was speaking and I needed to reply. Finally finding my voice, I emphatically shook my head. "Oh, th-that's fine. It was definitely worth the wait, you look _stunning_. I mean, wow!"

Her cheeks flushed and she looked away, a smile forming on her face. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "You look good, yourself. You should wear your dress uniform more often."

"I'll keep that in mind," I smiled. "In any case, we don't want to be too late. Shall we be off?"

"Of course," Yorktown smiled back, taking my arm. "Let's go."

* * *

When we arrived, the party was in full swing. The shipgirls from various factions were mingling about conversing with each other, and music filled the hall. To my surprise, it was a soft jazz number that was playing instead of the more classical tunes I was expecting. It was also a surprise to see South Dakota sitting at the piano. I had no idea she played music at all, let alone with such skill. I made a mental note to bring it up with her the next chance I got and continued on. As we continued into the main hall, we were intercepted by Belfast, who had forgone her normal maid uniform for a blue satin dress.

"Pardon me, Master," she began, curtseying before us, "but Her Majesty requested that you be brought before her as soon as you arrived."

I sighed and nodded. I had expected this, but I was hoping to at least mingle and make sure Yorktown was alright before leaving her for a while. When I turned to her, she had that same soft, somewhat sad smile on her face.

"I know," she pre-empted, "Go on, I'll be fine. I'll just go find Hamman and Sims and keep them out of trouble."

I snorted and quipped, "Good luck with that. In any case, I'll be back as quickly as I can."

Quickly was apparently not in the cards that night. After nearly twenty minutes of speeches and monologues about the great and glorious Royal Navy, I was able to give Her Majesty my regards and compliments and take my leave. As I made my way back to where I last saw Yorktown, I bumped into Hornet, who grinned broadly when she saw me.

"Hey, there's the lucky guy! What'd I tell ya, huh?" she began, giving me another playful tap on the arm. "Big sis knows how to clean up or what?"

"She looks stunning," I admitted. "I mean, she's always beautiful, but yeah...she really outdid herself tonight."

"She's been looking forward to this all week. Practically all she would talk about. Well, that and the flight training she's been putting you through. Nice idea, by the way."

"Idea?" I repeated, feigning ignorance but unable to keep a sly smile from my face. "Why, Hornet, I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh. Suuure you don't, Commander. Well, in any case, this 'not-plan' you're definitely not working on is doing wonders for her. We haven't seen her this happy in a long while. She may not show it, but she's pretty sweet on you."

"Yorktown said as much herself when I assigned her as my secretary. But she wants to keep it professional, so that's what we're going to do."

"By taking her to a fancy ball on your night off dressed to the nines?"

"...yeah?"

Hornet just chuckled and shook her head. "Guess Hamman's not the only one who needs to be more honest about her feelings…"

Before I could naively ask her what she meant by that, I heard a loud snort, followed by drunken giggling. A very familiar-sounding giggle… "Does that sound like…"

"Yeah," Hornet answered. "But she sounds kinda…"

"But she doesn't…"

"Yeah…"

The crowds parted, and we both saw her there, champagne flute in her hand, along with about five other empty ones sitting on the table beside her. Her cheeks were flushed, and she swayed like a tree in a summer storm.

"Uh-oh," was all I could say before she turned and spotted us in turn.

"Commander!" she waved over at us and then staggered our way. There were a few times when I thought she'd topple over, but somehow, she managed to stay on her feet and keep her champagne in her glass. "Did you get lost? I've been waiting FOREVER for you! Here, have a drink!"

As she thrust the glass in my face, I gently pushed it away towards Hornet, who swiftly took it away from her elder sister. "I think I'll pass on that, thank you. You seem to have had enough for both of us."

She blinked at me, confused, for several long seconds before giggling again. "Me? Drunk? Oh, you. You're such a card. This is grape juice…" she peered at the champagne flute in Hornet's hand. "...isn't it?"

Hornet took a sip from the glass and shook her head. "'Fraid not, Sis. Definitely champagne."

"Oh." Yorktown looked downright crestfallen. "Enterprise _did_ tell me not to drink any of the blue stuff...like...a MILLION times, but what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that you're a bit drunk, Yorktown," I replied. I have to admit, even when rip-roaring drunk, she was still pretty damn cute.

"What? Noooo."

"Yes."

"Noooo."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes!" It took her a minute, but when she realized what she'd just said, she giggled again and slapped me playfully on the chest. "Ahhh, you got me! Okay. I'm a bit drunk. But don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

I looked over at Hornet, who was trying to her very best not to laugh and cocked my head to her inebriated sister. "Will she?"

Hornet looked her up and down, and then did the same to me and grinned. "Looks like she's in good hands. Have fun, Commander!"

Yorktown smiled and waved goodbye to Hornet, who ignored my sputtered pleas and disappeared into the crowd with a wave of her own. "Such a nice girl," Yorktown said wistfully. "You know what? I'm glad. Hornet, Enterprise, even Hammann, they all have their places here, they know where they belong, and they're all happy. And I'm happy for them!" She looked down and shrugged, her expression melancholy. "But as for Big Sister Yorktown, that leaves me on my own, and just a _teensy_ bit lonely…"

"I think you'll find your place here soon enough, Yorktown," I said, wrapping an arm around her waist. "And no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you."

"Awwww…" she replied, draping an arm over my shoulder and hugging me tightly. "You're so good to me. Hey! Have you seen Hammann? We should go find her and say hello!"

"We should," I agreed, silently hoping Sims either wasn't with her or, failing that, Sims didn't bring her camera with her. The last thing I wanted was a video of Yorktown drunk making the rounds. "Let's see if we can find her."

As it turned out, we couldn't. We spent the next half hour making our way through the party, chatting with the other shipgirls as we tried to spot Hammann. Eventually, I noticed Yorktown had developed a rather severe list to port, and her eyes were becoming more and more glassy as time wore on. Deciding it would probably be best to get her back to her dorm, we bid the party adieu and made our way back down towards her apartment.

"Commander, you're weird," Yorktown suddenly announced, seeming to suddenly sober up out of nowhere, straightening up and looking at me clearly.

"O-oh?" I asked, caught off guard. "How so?"

"Even though I don't want to experience more painful departures, you keep stepping into my heart."

"I do?" While the admission itself wasn't surprising, it sounded like she was coming dangerously close to crossing the superior-subordinate boundary.

"Of course, silly!" she said, playfully slapping my arm as she began to lean against me, her drunken demeanor returning. "You're so thoughtful and sweet, and you're just...so cute when you get all excited about something. And you take time to make sure I'm okay. When I'm with you...I dunno, maybe that I could belong somewhere here."

I wrapped my arm around her waist and held her tightly, smiling at her. "Good. You're worth it, Yorktown. Being with you is always the highlight of my day, even when we're neck-deep in paperwork and commissions. You're…" I realized what I was about to say, the line I was about to cross, and I hesitated. We agreed to keep things professional, did I want to jeopardize that? Yorktown at the very least could say she had been drunk, I, on the other hand, was completely sober. I wouldn't have any excuse to fall back on. In the end, I decided to be completely honest with her. "...you're very special to me. I really do care deeply about you."

"That's so sweet," she giggled and nuzzled her face against my cheek. I wasn't sure exactly if she was going for a kiss and just...missed in her less than sober state or if she was trying something else. So in response, I simply patted her on her hip. "Oh! We're here."

After a few seconds of fumbling with her keys, I managed to get the door open with my free hand and Yorktown promptly dragged me inside. I barely managed to shut the door behind us before she kept dragging me all the way to her room. Only after the bedroom door had shut did she release me and flop onto the bed, her silver hair splayed out behind her in an argent halo. It glimmered in the moonlight streaming in from the window, and for a moment, I was spellbound by her beauty.

The spell was broken when I felt her hand grab mine and pull me towards her, setting off several alarm bells in my head. I pulled back, shaking my hand and apologizing. "I'm sorry, I can't."

She shook her head tiredly and pulled my hand again, this time insistently. "Mmm, just stay with me. Don't want to be alone in the dark again…" she murmured softly.

"I could turn on a light," I helpfully offered as I was pulled down onto the bed next to her. She shook her head again and cuddled up next to me.

"You're my light…" she whispered, and I felt her lips press against my cheek in a tender kiss. "Just...I'm really shy so _you_ have to make the first move, 'kay?"

Before I could ask for clarification on that statement, I felt her head go limp and she began to snore in my ear. Her hand, however, was still tightly holding onto my own, so I got as comfortable as I could, kicked off my shoes, and tried to get some sleep myself.

* * *

Before I knew it, the morning's light was illuminating the room, bringing me out of a relatively decent, if somewhat uncomfortable, night's sleep. My eyes slowly opened, focusing on Hammann, her hands on her hips and barely controlled rage in her eyes.

"Mmm, morning, Hamman," I muttered, closing my eyes again and getting into a more comfortable position. That's when my brain engaged and I realized two things. One, this wasn't my bed, and two, even if this _was_ my bed, Hammann doesn't have the keys to my quarters. Then I realized _whose_ bed I was in and my eyes snapped open. "Hammann!" I exclaimed. "Wait just a minute, it's not what you think, she-"

"_PERVERT!_" she shrieked, so loud I thought she was going to wake up everyone on base. "How _dare_ you take advantage of Yorktown, you...you…" She grabbed me by my tie and yanked hard, intending to haul me off the bed. Instead, what happened was the tie came off in her hands, causing her to stumble back and fall onto her aft end. She looked incredulously at the tie still clutched in her grasp, then at me. "A _clip-on_?!"

"Hammann, calm down, I can explain that, too," I said, trying to keep her from exploding again, or, at the very least, waking everyone else up. In that aspect, I failed. Before anyone could say anything else, Hornet opened the door, wearing a football jersey and shorts, her hair mussed and eyes clouded with sleep.

"What in the hell is going on here, Hamm-oh." She looked at me, then to Yorktown, who was somehow still asleep(and still holding onto my hand), and then to Hammann. A smug smirk slowly spread across her face. "Commander, you _dog_…"

"It's not what you think!" I wailed, "Nothing happened! I swear! She asked me to stay with her, that's all!"

"Uh-huh. Suuuure it is. Just some nice, platonic, superior-subordinate hand holding going on. In bed."

At this point, Hammann was beet-red and about to explode again, Hornet was practically dripping with smug satisfaction, and I was thoroughly frazzled and trying to prevent things from degenerating further. Fortunately, a soft voice came from behind me, along with the rustle of satin on quilted covers.

"...why is everyone in my room?" Yorktown asked. We all stopped and turned to look at her. I let out a quiet sigh of relief as she'd be able to confirm that nothing had happened and she'd asked me to stay with her. "What happened last night? And why are you holding my hand, Commander?" _Oh no_.

"That's it!" Hammann yelled and tried to charge me, but Hornet was faster and grabbed the destroyer. "Unhand me! I need to call the military police! Our commander is a filthy _PERVERT_!"

"Alright, settle down, kid," Hornet grinned as she picked up the struggling Hamman. "Nothing happened last night, I saw it with my own eyes." She looked over at Yorktown and asked, "You really don't remember anything last night, sis?"

Yorktown's brows furrowed as she tried to recall the events of last night. "I...I remember getting ready, going to the party, and then...it gets a bit fuzzy. Did something happen to me?"

"You could say that," Hornet quipped. "You got sloshed on champagne and the Commander had to walk you home. I guess you wouldn't let go of him because when I got home, I found you two asleep on top of the covers, still dressed, and holding hands."

"W-what?" The elder sister stammered. I decided against pointing out we were still actually holding hands.

"Yeah. You were cuddled up with him a bit and everything. Warmed my heart. Probably should have gotten a picture."

"We appreciate your restraint, Hornet," I drily remarked.

"You're welcome," she winked at me and looked down at Hammann, who had quit struggling and simply looked sullen. "And you, are you all done now? How did you even get in here in the first place?"

"Yorktown gave me a key," she sulked. "I saw her leave the party drunk and I wanted to make sure she was okay and that no lecherous commanders had taken advantage of her." She shot me an angry look, and I did my best to look somewhat cowed. "But since nothing happened, I guess I'll go. But I'm gonna keep an eye on you, Commander!"

"I would expect nothing less, Hammann. Have a good day."

"Hrmph!" She wriggled out of Hornet's grasp and stomped out of the apartment. As soon as the door slammed shut behind her, the youngest carrier burst into giggles and laughter.

"Oh, that was too good. The look on everyone's faces...ahhh...good times. Seriously, though, how are you feeling, Yorktown?"

Turning to finally get a good look at her in the morning light, she looked a little worse for wear. Her hair was mussed and half out of her ponytail, and she still had some dark circles under her eyes. She blinked and nodded slowly. "My mouth is bone dry and my head is pounding, but I think I'll be okay." She turned her attention to me. "Thank you for staying with me, Commander, even if I don't remember it."

I gave her a warm smile and gently squeezed her hand. "You're welcome. You can be very persuasive when you want to be."

"What did I say?"

I opened my mouth to answer, then promptly shut it when I realized that Hornet was still lingering in the doorway. When I gave her a look, she grinned that mischevious grin and held her hands up. "Alright, alright. I'll give you two lovebirds some space and go put on a pot of coffee." When she was out of the room, and I was certain she was out of earshot, I turned back to Yorktown to answer her question.

"You, uh, you said I was your light in the darkness. And you wouldn't let go of my hand."

Yorktown blushed and smiled sheepishly, looking down until she realized, at last, that we were still holding hands. "Oh!" she yelped and withdrew her hand, pulling it up to her chest. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I reassured her. "I thought it was very endearing, and I'm touched that you, or at least, drunk you, thinks of me as your light."

"You...you've helped me so much, lately, and I really appreciate it, Commander. I need to get out of bed and freshen up, but...maybe you'd like to stay for coffee?"

"I'd love that."

* * *

While Yorktown got changed, I gathered my things from her room and either put them back on or tossed them on one of the chairs in the living room. The enticing smell of coffee led me into the kitchen, where Hornet was pouring the beautiful black liquid into three cups. When she saw me she grinned. "Figured she'd ask you to stay for coffee. How do you like yours, boss?"

"Three sugars, two cream," I replied, clipping my tie back in place. "And thanks."

"You're welcome, Commander. And while I don't agree with Hammann's dim view of your ah...purity, I gotta say really, a clip-on tie?"

I laughed as I straightened it out. "Bit of a tradition with me. Back when I was 18 and joined the Navy, I couldn't tie a tie to save my life. Didn't know how. But you had the option to buy a clip-on tie instead, so I did that. When the other recruits started giving me a tough time for it, our Chief backed me up, saying you wanted to wear one in case a fight ever broke out. In a fight, people will grab the tie and attempt to yank you into a punch. With a clip-on, it slips right off and gives you a chance to hit the other guy first."

Hornet just stared in disbelief as she handed me the piping hot mug. "You have _got_ to be kidding."

"Dead serious," I confirmed. "Ever since then, I wore a clip-on tie. I know how to tie a tie _now_, mind you, but just in case…"

"In case you're ever caught in bed with your secretary and a destroyer tries to haul you up by said tie?"

"You know, when you phrase it that way, it sounds just a tiny bit improper."

"Just a smidge."

"Little bit, yeah."

"What are we talking about?" Yorktown's voice distracted us both from our banter and I turned around to see what she had changed into. Eschewing her normal dresses, she had slipped into a baseball t-shirt that had the words "Fighting Lady CV-5" emblazoned on it and a pair of dark blue pajama pants. And yet somehow, she still managed to pull off that ladylike poise and elegance.

"His preference of ties," Hornet answered, offering Yorktown her steaming mug of coffee.

"Oh, you mean his clip-on?" When she saw Hornet's shocked expression, she explained. "When we work late, he runs his finger around his collar, and I can see there's no tie fabric underneath. So I asked him about it. My real question is why he thought there may be a fight at the Royal Ball last night."

"I didn't," I shrugged, "but like I was telling Hornet, it's just tradition at this point."

"I see," she grinned at me over her cup of coffee as she took her first sip.

I smiled and felt my cheeks begin to flush with color, so I decided to change the subject. "So Hornet, anything interesting happen after we left the party?"

"Nah, not really. I think things started dying down about half an hour after you left, which is when I called it quits." She glanced at the clock on the wall and quickly downed the rest of her coffee. "Speaking of, I've got some spontaneous exercises with the Royal Maid corps this morning. Gonna help them with their AA training. You two have fun without me, but not too much fun!"

"Hornet!" Yorktown admonished, and her sister laughed it off.

"It's all in good fun, sis!"

Now alone in the kitchen, it got a little awkward between us, neither of us knowing exactly what to say.

"So…"I began hesitantly. "Any plans for today?"

"I was planning on catching up on a few things, waiting for this hangover to die down."

"Water helps."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." The uneasy silence settled over us again, and we both looked around, trying to avoid the elephant in the room. And as much as I wanted to simply not talk about it, it had been on my mind she said it. So I decided to just come at it directly and get it over with. "Last night, you said something to me right before you passed out, and it's been on my mind ever since, so I'm just going to say it."

"What is it?"

"Do you want to go out with me? On a real date? Not in a platonic, respectful of the superior-subordinate relationship kind of date, but a romantic date between two people who have feelings for another?"

To say Yorktown looked shocked would be an understatement. I think I completely caught her off-guard on that one, and it was taking her a minute to catch up. "But...we had agreed to keep things professional."

"We had," I agreed, "but after last night, I think that's what neither of us wants. I know I don't want to deny it anymore."

She looked down into her coffee cup for several long, tense moments and when looked back up, she gave me her answer.

"Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

"Yes."

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I had been holding, and Yorktown giggled at the relieved look on my face. I felt the blush creep across my cheeks and I glanced down at the floor and shrugged. "It's been a while, and I'm always nervous the first time."

"I'll keep that in mind," she teased, and my cheeks got hotter.

"S-so, anyway," I said, moving past that as quickly as I could, "When do you want to do this again? I think I could have everything set up by next weekend."

"S-set up?" Yorktown stammered. "What did you have in mind for our date?"

"Dinner, dancing, a night under the stars, that sort of thing. I kinda figured we wouldn't have time during the week and I don't want to rush everything for tonight." I shrugged. "I just want to make sure if we do it again, we do it right."

A warm smile crossed her face and she closed the distance between us to take my hand in hers. "That's awfully sweet of you, Commander. Thank you." Without any further warning, she leaned over and gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek. My heart fluttered at the simple gesture, and I leaned back to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek in return. Her eyes lit up and her cheeks grew even redder, and at this point, I was beginning to wonder if the blush would become permanent on both of us.

"By the way," she continued, "How bad was I?"

"Not that bad," I reassured her as I leaned back against the kitchen counter, "You didn't try and start fights with anyone, or cause any sort of international incident. You just seemed a bit tipsy, and when you started showing signs of being really drunk, we decided to head home. I think the biggest thing was that you were looking everywhere for Hamman. Never ran into her."

"Until this morning. I'm sorry about that, by the way."

I chuckled and shook my head. "It's alright. I'd rather you have friends who cared about you getting home safely than ones who didn't, even if she's a tad overprotective."

"She has a hard time expressing herself, but we've been working on it." She smirked softly and peered into her coffee. "...I guess it's something we could both work on a bit."

"Something we could all work on, I think. Well, maybe Akagi could work on it a bit _less_…"

Yorktown giggled and leaned up against me. "Oh, I don't know, sometimes I admire her honesty. Although her tact could use work."

I chuckled and took a sip of my coffee. "Putting it mildly," I quipped. We stood there, sipping our coffee and enjoying the feeling of holding one another until Yorktown broke the silence.

"Commander?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing today?"

* * *

As it turns out, what I had planned and what my secretary had on my docket(or so she claims, she coyly hid the planner when I asked to see it) was radically different. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Any time I get to fly is preferable to being cooped up in a stuffy office filing reports, and when that time is spent with Yorktown, well, it becomes that much more enjoyable.

So a few hours after finishing our coffee and saying our goodbyes, I found myself back at the old airstrip, decked out in my flight gear, waiting by Yorktown's summoned SBD. As I waited, I idly wondered what she had me standing by for, what surprise she had planned in store for me today.

That question was answered as soon as she stepped out of the hangar. Instead of her usual blue and white dress, she was wearing a form-fitting flight suit that did a wonderful job of accentuating her curves. Her hair was tucked beneath a flight helmet, with only a few errant strands of silver hair peeking out from around the sides and bottom. "Ready, Commander?" she asked as she approached.

It took my brain a few seconds to realize she had asked me a question, and when I managed to shut my jaw all I could do was nod enthusiastically. She giggled in response and asked. "You _do_ remember what you said last time you flew, right? That the next time I'd go up there with you?"

"R-right!" I exclaimed, finding my voice. "Yeah, yeah, I remember that, I just didn't realize you'd change into something so...flattering."

Yorktown smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Commander, if I didn't know any better, I think you'd say I look good in anything…" she whispered as she brushed by me and climbed aboard the dive bomber. Looking over her shoulder, she grinned at me. "You coming?"

She didn't need to ask twice. I quickly hopped up after her and climbed into the cockpit. We strapped ourselves in and I began the preflight startup sequence…

* * *

Much like last time, it was a relatively smooth take-off and climb to our operational altitude. As soon as we were at ten thousand feet and leveled off, I slid the cockpit canopy back, enjoying the wind on my face. Once again, the view from such heights is breathtaking, and we had a commanding view over the whole base, the surrounding hillside, and the vast blue ocean beyond. I glanced behind me to see Yorktown peering over the side, taking in the sights as they slowly crawled by beneath us.

"I'd forgotten how much I missed this view," her voice crackled in my ear and I smiled.

"Glad I could help you get reacquainted with it," I replied, and began to bank slowly over the green hills and rocky outcroppings that surrounded headquarters. "Anywhere you'd like to go in particular."

"Go? No, but I want to practice something with you if that's okay."

I raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she had in mind. "Shoot."

"Would you like to try some formation flying?"

"If you think I'm ready."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you were." The raised eyebrow went even higher. Coming from Yorktown, that was a surprisingly confident statement.

"Alright, then," I said, checking the straps on my harness and straightening myself in the pilot's seat. "What do I need to do?"

"Just sit tight and give me a moment." There was a momentary pause, and then the space just off to my left began to shimmer and glow, coalescing into a pair of SBDs exactly like the one we were in. "Okay, I want you to go ahead and maneuver into formation, just off the lead plane's right wing."

"Copy that," I answered, and gingerly eased the plane to just behind and to the right of the center plane, and parallel to the other wingman just off his left side. From there, we practiced flying in formation, staying with your wing leader, and maintaining proper distance. It was a little rough at first, and there was a lot of overcorrection, but eventually, I began to get the hang of it. We hadn't started any combat maneuvers, but I was feeling more and more confident banking, diving, and climbing through the skies on someone's wing.

We had just leveled out of one of those said climbs when I noticed several specks in the sky. At first, I thought they may have been birds, but I noticed them growing larger and larger and heading directly for us.

"Uh, you seeing this Yorktown?" I asked her, gesturing towards the incoming dots. "Got a group of unknowns closing on us, three o'clock."

"I see them," Yorktown replied, her voice hard. "Take the lead, safeties off. I'm going to try and ping their IFF."

"Copy that." I complied with her orders and nudged the throttle forward, watching the other two SBDs drop back on either side of me. "Weapons hot."

"Come right to zero five five."

"Zero five five, aye." I pulled the bomber into a tight turn until the unknown dots, now clearly planes of some type, were directly ahead of us. "Any ID yet?"

"Waiting for the return…" there was a pause, and when her voice came back, the relief was evident. "It's Hornet."

I let out a sigh and toggled the safeties back on, slumping back in my seat a bit. "What's she doing out here? Wasn't she supposed to be doing that training with the Royal Navy?"

"Probably wondering what we're doing out here. I don't think she got the updated flight plan before she left for training."

"Ah." The quartet of planes ahead of us sharply banked left, giving us a good view of their barrel-shaped fuselages and stubby wings, allowing us to clearly identify them as F4F Wildcats. The four fighters matched our heading, and then reduced speed until we were only a dozen yards behind them. The lead fighter waggled its wings, and I returned the gesture, wondering if this was just Hornet saying hello or if she was trying to get our attention. The fighter wing banked to the left, and when I didn't follow, the formation lined up in front of me again and repeated the gesture.

"I think they want us to follow them."

"Might as well, I'll see if I can get Hornet on the radio."

"Roger that," I acknowledged, and followed the Wildcats this time, allowing them to lead us out over the harbor and towards the ocean. I did a quick check of the map board and noted they were leading us out towards the training area.

"I've got a hold of Hornet, patching her through," Yorktown announced. "Go ahead Hornet, we're both listening."

"Hey, lovebirds!" Hornet's voice echoed in my ears. "Kinda glad you guys wandered our way. Belfast brought Illustrious along without telling me, and I sure could use a hand. I'll clear the skies and you go for the target. Whaddaya say?"

"Uhhh...I'm gonna go ahead and defer to my flight instructor on this one," I demurred, not entirely sure I wanted to drag Yorktown into a combat scenario just yet.

"If you can keep the fighters off of us, I think I can guide the Commander in. But just one run."

"One run's all we'll need, sis! We'll be over the target in five minutes, so you two might want to get ready. Good luck, and good hunting. Hornet out."

Once we'd heard Hornet disconnect, Yorktown asked, "Are you sure about this?"

"You wouldn't have said yes if you didn't think I was ready, right?"

I thought I heard her laugh, but the wind and the crackle of the radio swallowed most of it up. Her verbal reply was loud and clear, however. "Absolutely."

"Then let's do this."

* * *

The next five minutes seemed to last forever and be gone in a second at the same time. Yorktown gave me a crash course in the finer points of dive-bombing, mostly how to arm the payload and how to deliver said bomb. It seemed like a lot of information that we covered, but before we knew it, we were over the target.

In this case, the target was a mass-produced _Ark Royal_, her maneuvering controlled remotely by Sheffield. Since she was mass-produced, the bombs we would be using were live ammunition, and as such, we had to take extra precautions not to injure anyone. We also had to take care not to crash into anyone. The sky was about to get very crowded, and if we weren't careful, we could blunder into someone with a live bomb strapped to our underside. While the loss of a few drone planes would be unfortunate, I'm much more vulnerable to being blown to bits and not being reconstituted. With all that said, I felt more than a little excitement when I saw the carrier on the ocean, surrounded by her kansen escort.

"Target in sight," I announced and no sooner had the words left my lips than a hail of AA fire filled the sky. Tracer shells and flak bursts seemed to fill the sky, causing the SBD to shudder and shake violently. I kept the plane on-course, however, still scanning the sky for any sign of Illustrious' fighter complement.

Right on cue, Yorktown called out, "Bandits, nine o'clock high!" and I glanced up to see a group of Sea Hurricanes diving down on us. I banked hard left, the training rounds ripping through the space we had just occupied as I continued my evasive maneuvers, still heading towards the target. Yorktown opened up with the rear turret, scoring a hit on one of the Hurricanes, the fighter billowing black smoke and falling away. My drone wingmen fired on the enemy with their rear turrets as well, the massed gunfire temporarily driving the Hurricanes off, but not for long. The four remaining fighters regrouped, and then as one, pounced on me.

"Where the hell is Hornet?" I howled as I put the Dauntless through loops, hard turns, and small dives to try and throw off my pursuers. But even with Yorktown's skill on the rear guns, they were relentless. Just when I thought they were going to shoot us down, Hornet's voice came over the radio.

"I gotcha, Commander, don't worry!" Her Wildcats soon put her words into actions, diving out of the sun, guns blazing. Two Hurricanes exploded into flame and tumbled out of the sky almost immediately, and the other two broke off their attack, turning to engage Hornet's planes in a dogfight. I used the opportunity to open the throttle and gain some distance from the swirling melee.

Of course, as soon as Illustrious' fighters were no longer nearby, the Royal Navy opened up with everything they had again. I have to admit, even knowing these were training rounds that wouldn't blow me out of the sky, it was still a nerve-wracking experience. With every shudder and shake, I was worried we'd be declared "dead" and that would be the end of this exercise. Still, the carrier grew closer and closer now, and I knew it wouldn't be long before I began my run.

"Into the attack," Yorktown's voice whispered over the radio, and I nodded. I pushed the Dauntless into her dive and the engine begin to scream as the altimeter rapidly spun down. I opened the dive brakes and focused my attention on the bombing scope, keeping it aimed directly on the _Ark Royal_'s flight deck. The entire airframe shuddered and bounced, and I was pressed back against the seat. All the while, Yorktown was cooly calling out the altitude and giving me last-second instructions. "Roll ten degrees to port. Three thousand. Keep the nose up. Two thousand. Right there. Fifteen hundred. Keep it right there." When the carrier nearly filled my vision, she cried out, "Now!"

Without hesitation, I yanked hard on the bomb release lever and felt the Dauntless lighten as the thousand-pound explosive left the aircraft's belly. "Bombs away!" I yelled as I yanked back hard on the stick with both hands. The g-forces felt like they were crushing me as I fought to keep consciousness, tunnel vision setting in as the plane pulled out of its steep dive. As the plane leveled out, the darkness surrounding my vision cleared, and I tried to glance behind me to assess the damage.

"It's a hit!" Yorktown shouted in answer to my unasked question. "Direct hit! And it looks like our wingmen made hits as well. Great job, Commander!"

I slumped back in my seat, catching my breath and smiling from ear to ear as I began to circle around to see the damage for myself. "Couldn't have done it without you, Yorktown," I panted. "You're a hell of a teacher. And a damn good gunner. Now I see why they call you the Fighting Lady."

Before Yorktown could make her usual humble comments, the radio crackled to life and a tinny horn sounded. "This exercise is now concluded. Having met its objectives, the winner is the Eagle Union. All ships...and Commanders...are to return to port for debriefing."

Hornet cut in on the private frequency we had been sharing, laughing and whooping. "We did it! Thanks a bunch, you two! I owe you a _huge_ favor!"

"I'll hold you to that, Hornet," I grinned and steered us back towards home.

* * *

Compared with the events of that Sunday, the rest of the week was quiet and uneventful. There was some simmering resentment with the Royal Navy that Hornet roped Yorktown and me into the exercise, but considering that they had done the same by making Illustrious a last-minute addition, it was dismissed fairly quickly.

And in a way, it was an added blessing in disguise, as any talk of Yorktown's tipsy behavior at the party was quickly swallowed up by the stories of her and the Commander's daring dive bomber assault. Not many had known about our flying lessons, and now that it was out, the rumor mill was working overtime to guess how long we had been an item. Normally, I would take pains to squash those, but considering we had our first proper date in less than a week, it'd do more harm than good to try and debunk them. So instead, we buried ourselves in work, speeding the week along whilst eagerly awaiting the weekend.

Before we knew it, Friday night was upon us and we each hurried back to our respective quarters to get ready. After making a phone call to make sure everything was in place, I hopped into the shower, then quickly shaved and got dressed. While I went with my dress blues again, I idly wondered if Yorktown would wear the same outfit as well. After a quick inspection in the mirror to make sure that everything was in place, I headed out the door to the Eagle Union dorms.

Tonight was much quieter, with fewer shipgirls out and about than last weekend. I also didn't wait as long for Yorktown to come outside, and she was wearing a different dress, to boot. A dark, navy blue satin evening gown with a matching bolero that had been embroidered with silver stars. Her hair was back up in her ponytail from last weekend, however, and she still wore the silver anchor necklace over a satin choker, although this one matched her dress. And like last time, I couldn't help but stare at how breathtakingly beautiful she was.

"Good evening, Commander," she smiled, "You're looking at me like you haven't seen me in a week."

I cleared my throat and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Every time I see you all dressed up like that, it just...it takes my breath away. You look beautiful."

Her cheeks reddened, and she smiled back, entwining her arm with my own. "Thank you. You look quite dashing yourself."

"Heh. Must be from all those high-flying adventures we've been having recently."

She giggled and shook her head. "Silly. So where are we going?"

"Down to the market. I've got us a reservation at a _very_ exclusive restaurant…" _I hope_, I added silently. "Shall we?"

"Of course."

I had called in Hornet's favor, and she came through for me with flying colors. Enlisting Hammann, Enterprise, Cleveland, and a few of the Royal Navy and Iris Libre girls, they had transformed the public dining area to a romantic little bistro for two. Lights had been strung between the buildings, and the only table remaining was covered in a tablecloth and moved to the water's edge, where we would have a beautiful view of the lighthouse and the ocean beyond.

Yorktown audibly gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to take in the startling transformation. "How did..._when_ did you…?"

"Hornet," I answered helpfully. "Called in that favor she owed me, and once I told her my idea, she enlisted a few other girls and got this put together. I couldn't have done this without her. At least, not without you finding out, and I wanted this to be a surprise."

"You succeeded at that, Commander," she said softly, still awestruck at the effort put into this. "I can't believe you did all this for _me_…"

"You are absolutely worth it," I replied, taking her hand in mine and squeezing it. "Regardless of what you've been through, or what you feel you do or don't deserve, you are worth every ounce of effort we've put into this and a thousand times more."

Yorktown threw her arms around me and buried her face in my neck, holding on to me tightly. Once I'd recovered from the sudden surprise hug, I wrapped my arms around her gently, not quite sure what had just happened. Only when I felt her shuddering softly in my arms, and the moisture against my cheek did I put it all together. "...Yorktown?"

"Thank you," she sniffled. "Thank you so much. Thank you for always being here for me."

"And I always will," I whispered and kissed the top of her head. "I promise."

"I know," she nodded and squeezed me tighter, almost uncomfortably so before she released me and took a step back. Despite the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks, her smile was as broad and as warm as I'd ever seen it. She quickly fished out a handkerchief from her clutch and began to dab her eyes. "We should probably head to see if we can get that last table," she joked.

"Right," I chuckled, playing along as I held out my arm for her to take. Once she did, I led her down the short staircase and over to the table. Standing close by, waiting patiently, were Hornet and Cleveland, dressed as chef and maitre d respectively.

"Good evening, sir and madam," Cleveland began in an overly formal, but clearly amused voice, a big grin on her face. "Welcome to Chez Waterline. How many are in your party?"

"Two," I answered, trying to keep a straight face as best as possible. Yorktown was barely stifling her giggles and Hornet was grinning like the proverbial cat that ate the canary.

"Excellent. We have one table available. Right this way, sir," Cleveland bowed slightly, then executed an about-face with an air of military precision I rarely see and "guided" us to our table. After seating Yorktown, I took a seat across from her and we both looked over at Cleveland, wondering what would come next.

"Here at Chez Waterline, our menu is preplanned, so I will tell you that your appetizer will be scallop risotto, which we will have out to you shortly."

I nodded approvingly, and then I realized something. "Wait. Risotto requires constant stirring, shouldn't you be in the kitchen, Hornet?"

Hornet just shook her head and waved a hand dismissively. "Nah. King George V's running the kitchen tonight, I'm just helping her and Cleveland out a little bit. I'm just wearing this because I didn't wanna wear a suit."

My jaw hit the table at the bombshell she just dropped. "You got _King George V_ to cook for us? How did you manage that?"

"They lost a bet, so I decided to call it in when you told me your plan. Which, by the way, you owe me a favor now, Commander."

I could only nod in agreement at that. She'd already gone well above and beyond what I'd asked of her, doing her a favor is the least I could do. "Done and done."

"I'll hold you to that!" she grinned. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

Yorktown waited until Cleveland and Hornet had moved out of earshot before leaning in and asking "Did you plan all of this?"

I looked around and shook my head. "When I called in the favor, I told her I wanted a quiet little table by the water for dinner and dancing, some strings of lights to set the mood. Didn't think she'd go and grab KGV to make dinner. Although, now that I think about it, she's a good choice, considering the menu…"

"Oh? What's on the menu?"

"You'll see," I winked playfully at her.

"Ooh, a bit of mystery," she teased and winked back. Before our playful flirtation could continue, Cleveland returned with what looked suspiciously like a champagne bottle. Both Yorktown and I started to object, but the cruiser quickly cut us off.

"Don't worry, guys, it's sparkling cider. Completely non-alcoholic." With our fears allayed, she set down a pair of champagne flutes and filled them with the bubbly liquid. With another dramatic bow, she set the bottle down on the table and retreated to one of the shops that they had occupied to use as a kitchen.

Yorktown picked her glass up first, giving it a sniff just to make sure it really was non-alcoholic before holding it up to me in a toast. "To a beautiful night under the stars."

"To a beautiful night with a beautiful lady," I replied and tapped my glass against hers.

**A/N-And another chapter is done! Almost done with Yorktown's story, stay tuned for the next chapter, and thanks for reading this far!**


	4. Chapter 4

Almost as soon as we had finished our toast, Cleveland and Hornet reappeared, each with a bowl in their hands. Hornet set hers down in front of Yorktown, and Cleveland placed mine before me.

"For our first course, a scallop risotto," Cleveland stated, still trying to keep the formal atmosphere. "Enjoy." I raised an eyebrow at the choice of the first course. I hadn't given them any recommendations for it, and yet, they somehow picked my favorite. Before I could say anything, the pair retreated again to one of the buildings to give us privacy. I watched them go for a moment, then returned my attention to Yorktown, who had a rather peculiar smile on her face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Is this your favorite dish?"

I nodded.

"Did you ask to put this on the menu?"

I shook my head. "No, just dinner, well, the main course now, I guess, and dessert. Why do you ask?"

"I think I may have had an inadvertent part in this..." she confessed with a sheepish smile.

That piqued my interest. "Oh?" I said, eyebrow raised. "Do tell."

"The other day, Hornet and I were chatting and the subject of food came up and she asked what sort of food you liked. I didn't think much of it at the time, she's been asking about you throughout the week, you know, being the good sister and checking up on the guy her big sister's dating."

I grinned and nodded. "Ah, clever girl. To be fair, she probably _was_ checking up on me and figured she could get two birds with one stone. Although I'm glad we had that chat now, before that I think the last time we discussed food was when I said I was partial to cookies and we could have gotten a _very_ different appetizer."

Yorktown giggled and nodded, "Indeed. Although, I have to ask, why this dish?"

"I grew up in the midwest, so we didn't have access to seafood all that often. And never anything that was fresh. One year, when I was a teenager, we took a vacation to Virginia Beach and hey, you're by the ocean, why not try actual seafood. And I'd never had risotto before, so…"

"Two birds, one stone?" Yorktown interjected.

"Exactly," I chuckled. "Turns out, I loved it. And as I got older, joined the Navy, it became a lot easier to find scallops, but risotto's still pretty rare outside of fancy restaurants well outside my paygrade. So thank you for remembering that."

She smiled and blushed, glancing down at the table. "You're welcome. I'm glad I could help in my own way. But we should probably take a bite before this gets cold."

"Good point," I agreed and lifted a forkful of scallop and risotto to my mouth. When a scallop is cooked right, the sear traps the flavorful juices of the mollusk inside, just waiting to burst with that first bite. And this one had been cooked perfectly. As soon as I bit down, I felt the juices from the scallop coat my tongue with that delicate, buttery, yet slightly sweet taste. And then the creaminess of the risotto hit, mixing in a delightful combination of flavors that was simply delectable. It had been years since I had something so delicious, and it was clear that my patience had been rewarded.

"Will you two need a moment?" A soft voice called out to me, and I snapped back to reality. Yorktown was looking at me with a bemused expression, an eyebrow raised. I felt the blush hit my cheeks and coughed self-consciously.

"Didn't realize I was getting _quite_ so lost in the food," I apologized.

Yorktown shook her head. "It's okay. You looked pretty cute with how much you were enjoying it."

My cheeks got hotter and I couldn't stop the sheepish smile from crossing my face. "Th-thanks."

She giggled and we both returned to our dishes, content to enjoy the food in silence. As soon as we finished, our attentive hosts quickly swooped in to collect the bowls and refill our drinks before vanishing again, presumably for the main course.

"So, any last hints as to what this mystery main course is?" Yorktown asked playfully.

I shook my head and gave her a coy smile. "Just that I'm sure you'll love it."

Right on cue, Hornet and Cleveland arrived, plates in hand. I watched Yorktown's face light up as she recognized the dish.

"Beef wellington!" She exclaimed happily. "It's been _years_ since I've had this! Not since…" her voice trailed off.

"Those old Atlantic runs right before the war," I finished. "Your face lit up every time you mentioned the dish and how long it's been since you've had it."

Yorktown blushed and looked away for a moment, although the smile never left her face. "I didn't realize I had gone on about it so much."

"You only mentioned it once or twice," I reassured her. "But when you did, I could see how much you loved it and I remembered it in case it'd ever come in handy."

"I think it's definitely come in handy," she beamed. "Thank you!" Without further preamble, she happily tucked into the meal, her expression now mirroring mine from earlier as she shut her eyes and savored the first bite.

"Will you two need a moment?" I teased, and she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Shush, you."

I grinned and turned my attention to my own plate. In addition to the pastry-wrapped filet, King George V had opted to go with grilled asparagus and grated parmesan as the side dish. Deciding to leave the side alone for now, I cut a slice off of the wellington and took my first bite. The beef was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy, its savory flavor pairing with the earthiness of the mushrooms and the buttery pastry it was wrapped in. As I enjoyed this delicious meal, I realized I owed Hornet one _hell_ of a favor. But whatever she asked for, it would certainly be worth it.

As before, we enjoyed our meal in relative silence, punctuating the silence with some minor chit chat and mutual appreciation of KGV's excellent cooking skills. Once we had finished, only Cleveland reappeared to clear our table, giving us both a wink and a grin before heading back to the kitchen. We both watched her go, clearly puzzled by her sudden shift from formal tone to cavalier attitude.

"...do you have any idea what that was about?" Yorktown asked.

I shook my head. "No clue. But I'm definitely curious about what's going to come next."

"Nothing crazy fancy with the dessert course? No baked alaska? Handmade baklava?"

"No." I paused, then corrected myself. "What I _told_ them was a fairly simple dish, but considering the evening so far, and the chef in charge...who knows. Guess we'll find out together."

As soon as the words had come out of my mouth, Hornet appeared with a single crystal bowl, filled with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream. Topped with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and a classic cherry on top, it was the very picture of the ice cream sundae I'd requested. There was just one problem.

"Uh, Hornet...where's the other one?" I asked as she set the dish between us. She merely grinned at me and produced two spoons, holding one out to each of us. Yorktown and I looked at the spoons, then to each other, and then to the ice cream. I decided to make the first move, shrugging and grabbing a spoon. "Well, alright then." I scooped out a dollop of strawberry and held the spoon out for Yorktown. Both she and her sister looked surprised, and I swear that I heard Cleveland say "Oh, nice!" from wherever her nearby vantage point was. But Yorktown quickly recovered and plucked the utensil from Hornet's hand, doling out a spoonful of chocolate and holding it out for me with a grin.

And so we finished our meal that way, playfully feeding each other spoonfuls of ice cream until there was nothing left but a few melted puddles and the maraschino cherry. I idly moved it around the bowl and wondered aloud. "So, who's gonna get the cherry?"

"I think you should be the one to take it, Commander," she said, her voice soft as she moved it towards me with her spoon. Her tone and the less than subtle message it carried was perfectly clear.

"A-are you sure?" I asked, an eyebrow raised. "I mean, this is only our first date…"

"I'm sure," she reaffirmed confidently. "You're the one."

For a moment, a wave of emotions threatened to overtake me. Anxiety, joy, desire, anticipation, all crashing around in my head and stealing my voice. My jaw worked up and down for a few moments as I failed to find the words. In the end, I managed to get out, "I'm glad you've chosen me..and I'm glad you feel the same way I do."

She didn't say anything, instead, she simply continued to smile as she held out the spoon one last time, the cherry sitting on it. I gingerly picked it up by the stem and lowered it into my mouth, separating the stem from the fruit with a quick tug of my tongue. We dropped the spoons into the bowl and smiled at each other like a couple of lovestruck teenagers for a few moments.

Our mutual ogling was not to last, however, as the sounds of a soft jazz number echoed across the square, piped in from cleverly hidden speakers. Yorktown looked around, wondering what was happening as I slid out of my seat, crossing to her side of the table.

I offered her my hand and asked, "May I have this dance?" She looked up at me, still somewhat lost before she caught up. Her blue eyes glittered in the soft light as she smiled warmly and rested her hand in mine.

"Of course." Together, we strode to the middle of the plaza and took each other in our arms. One hand rested on her hip, feeling the warmth of her body beneath the soft satin of her dress, the other hand taking hers in mine, our fingers intertwining with each other as we began to dance. We slowly swayed with the music, lost in each other's eyes.

"This is a good song," she remarked, "What's it called?"

"It Had To Be You."

She chuckled. "That's a bit on the nose, isn't it?"

I shrugged as best I could. "Maybe, but it's fitting. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else by my side. Not in the office, in the air, or in my life. You've helped me realize both a long dream of mine and what I've been missing from my life. I cannot tell you how grateful, or how lucky I am."

Yorktown held me close, resting her head on my shoulder, her satin dress rustling against my uniform as we continued our slow spin around the impromptu dance floor. "Nor I. I may not remember saying it, but I was right. You are the light in the darkness. My light. When I was trapped in the darkness, too scared to move out of it, you were the one who took me by the hand and led me into the light. I wouldn't be where I am right now if it wasn't for you. Thank you."

Eventually, the music faded, leaving us in silence, still holding on to one another under the twinkling lights. Neither of us wanted to let go, and it wasn't until they had turned off the lights did we release one another. "I guess that's their subtle way of telling us they're closed for the night," I quipped.

"I'd say so," Yorktown smirked. "So, what did you have planned next, Commander?"

"Just a stroll under the stars."

"Any place in mind?"

I shook my head. "Just see where our feet take us."

* * *

We made sure to bid Cleveland and Hornet good night before departing, along with our greatest compliments to the chef. Hornet made sure to remind me of the favor I now owed her, and Yorktown whispered something in her ear that made her grin like a Cheshire cat. Having said goodbye to our generous hosts, we wandered around the base a few times before we found ourselves outside of my quarters. Yorktown stopped and looked expectantly at me, placing her hands on my hips. "Aren't you going to invite a girl in, Commander?"

I raised an eyebrow but still pulled her in close. "What about your quarters?" I asked.

"Hamman has a key to my quarters, and I don't want any interruptions tonight...or tomorrow morning," she purred, her hands running up my chest before grabbing my tie. She gave it a few tugs upwards, trying to dislodge it before looking up at me with a playful expression. "Commander, an _actual_ tie?"

"Sometimes you've got to buck tradition," I shrugged, giving her a sly grin.

She cocked an eyebrow at me, returning the grin with a wolfish one of her own. "Indeed you do. Well, this will be fun for me." She tugged at the tie. "Come on, Commander. It's dark in your quarters, and I need your light."

"Yes, ma'am." She led me inside, and this time, stopped just long enough for us to lock the door...

* * *

The SBD Dauntless rumbled down the flight deck, engine roaring as it tried to get enough lift under its wings before it reached the bow. Just as it reached the end of the flight deck, it slowly began to lift into the sky. I watched as it took to the air, gracefully executing a slow turn to port as it continued to gain altitude, waiting for the rest of its squadron to join it. As it grew smaller and smaller, I looked back to Yorktown, who was watching it go as well, a proud smile on her face. Once again, the wind over the deck was causing her hair and dress to billow out behind her, but this time, she looked more like a brave heroine than a grieving mourner.

"That's the third one today," I announced. "I think you've got the hang of this again."

She turned to me, her smile growing broader as she nodded in agreement. "I know I have. And now it's your turn, Commander. Are you ready for your final qualifications before earning your wings?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Then pilot, man your plane," she ordered, and I snapped to attention.

"Yes, ma'am!" I barked, saluting smartly. Yorktown giggled and pulled me in close for a kiss.

"Good luck, and good hunting, Commander." With that, I made my way through the ship and down the ladders to the flight deck, making any last-minute checks before I hopped into the cockpit. Any worries that I would normally have before such a major event were surprisingly gone. No matter what happened, I knew that with Yorktown at my side, we could overcome anything. Together, we would soar on mended wings.

**A/N-Whew! Another story done! As before, going to take a little break to rest up, keep working on that 1/350th Akagi model, and then get back to work. Next up on the docket will be a few Akagi/New Years Resolution anthology one-offs, one for Polaris and the other for her launch day coming up on April 22nd. After those are written, the next full story coming will be "Biscuits with Bismarck" featuring, you guessed it, Bismarck herself and the last planned story will be a more mature(but still postable to Fanfiction and r/Azurelane) tale featuring our favorite vampire vessel, Duke of York. I may do something with one of the Northern Parliament shipgirls but I'm not going to be RUSSIAN to get it finished. Get it? Get it? ...I'll show myself out. Again, thanks for reading and all the kind words and fair winds and following seas!**


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